Hanging By A Moment
by Hazel Rayne 008
Summary: Shinji has had the same dream for over a month about a woman. He can't talk to her or even take a step closer to her. Risa is a poor woman from the Rukon District that dreams of a man she's never met; but knows his name somehow. They have never met; but are connected by these dreams. What happens when they finally do meet? *Two-shot* Rated T for Violence. Shinji/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note: I do not own bleach or any of its characters. I do own my OC and the storyline of course. I've been thinking a lot lately for new ideas and this one popped into my head at work this morning. This Two-Shot was inspired by the song 'Hanging by A Moment' by Lifehouse. I hope you enjoy reading part one and please review with your thoughts and opinions of it.**

_Ocean waves rolled onto the sand, creating a mixture of crushed rock and small shells to form a slightly muddy terrain. The full moon's light cascaded down to reflect its image upon the deep blue waters. Gray clouds scattered across the sky at a fairly fast pace. The smell of rain was evident; but it never poured a single drop._

_ A woman stood at the edge of the shore with her bare feet submerged in the water. Her unusual platinum aqua hair shimmered as the moonlight cast its light upon her. Her face couldn't be seen as she was facing the ocean before her; but she only wore a white tank top sundress to show the color of her tanned skin._

"_Shinji…." she called out._

_ She never turned around and her voice was like a siren's lure, drawing him in but not wanting to all at the same time. The woman took another step into the water; the wetness reached her mid-thigh and soaked the bottom of her dress. _

_ He couldn't speak, his voice was mute; but he could see her plain as day in front of him. An unknown force prevented him from even taking a step closer to her. He was curious to see her face; but no matter how many times he called out to her, his words never reached her._

_ A warm breeze wrapped around him as if caressing him. All he could do was watch her closely. Her small hands hung loosely at her sides, just begging to have fingers twines with them. Another force forced him out of the dream just as she was turning to face him._

Shinji shot up in bed. Sweat rolled down his forehead and dripped from his chin onto his hand. He looked around the room for something to explain the odd dream; but like always there wasn't one.

He's had the same dream for over a month and it was starting to annoy him. He ran a hand over his long blonde hair and attempted to lay back down; but his eyes refused to close. The white stone ceiling bore into the darkness and made his vision swirl. His heart raced like always and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

"Stupid dream" he muttered and rolled onto his side.

**Junrinan, West Rukon: District 1**

She walked into a small tavern pulling along a tiny cart of fresh vegetables. Living in the Rukon, most people never got hungry. Thus, food was scarce. Her long wavy aqua hair shifted against her mid-back as she walked. People looked up from their cups of sake to stare at her.

She paid no attention to them. To them, she was a freak. Her hair attracted too much attention, the kind that brought on random beatings from drunks or just everyday brutes; but she never let it bother her. She always got up and walked away, never saying a word afterward.

The owner looked up from behind the counter and a smile quickly replaced the scowl he was known to have. "Oh it's so nice to see you, Risa" he said walking around to see her goods. The frown never left her lips. It was a frown of disappointment and worry.

"This is all that grew this time around" she replied.

"That's unfortunate"

"If only I could do something to help with the growth, then the children that have spirit energy wouldn't suffer"

He looked at her troubled expression. Her hazel eyes held much pain behind them; but considering she also had spirit energy and had to eat, she did everything she could for the young children that starved.

"Maybe you should consider becoming a Soul Reaper"

"Coming from you that's an odd thing to say"

"I'm just saying"

"You despise Soul Reapers though"

"Maybe so; but I could never despise you after all you've done for the hungry children"

"That's very kind of you to say"

Risa smiled sweetly at the older man. He had light sandy brown hair that was graying at the sides and a rounded face. It's what humans would call middle age. His eyes were the purest blue she had ever seen; they reminded her of the ocean. Since losing her family early on, he had been sort of a father figure to her.

He took the cart from her and pulled it to the back room of the tavern. When he returned, he handed her a small bag of money. Like food, money was also scarce in the Rukon District. Risa never complained about her poor status; but deep down it bothered her. She wanted more and promised her parents that she'd be better; but since their deaths, she couldn't bring herself to even try.

Both her parents were killed by a hollow. It wasn't very common for people to be devoured by hollows in the Soul Society; but when it did happen, it was always more than one death. Soul Reapers were always dispatched to help; but eight times out of ten, they were rude to the villagers after the save.

Risa made her way through the crowding people and stepped outside. The sky was starting to darken and the day was almost over. She stopped at the small shack that she called home. "Maybe I'll dream of him again" she whispered.

She had practically the same dream for over a month. It was always of her standing in the ocean at night, facing away from a man named Shinji. She's never seen his face; but knew his name somehow and knows he's behind her watching. The dream was pretty much the only thing she looked forward to.

When darkness spread across the sky, she pulled the only blanket she owned around her and laid her head down upon a pillow made of scraps of fabric. Her hazel orbs slowly closed and sleep overtook her body, thrusting her into her subconscious.

**Squad 5 HQ Office**

Shinji sat at his desk finishing the last page of his daily paperwork. He grumbled silently about his Lieutenant's absence. Exhaustion spread through his entire body and he started to yawn. His eyes began to water with the intensity of each proceeding yawn.

"Sir it's late, why don't you go home" his Lieutenant said walking into the room.

"Where the hell have you been today?" he asked.

"I took a group to survey District One today, you were told about it"

"I must have forgotten. Well take over, I'm tired"

"Goodnight sir"

"Yeah"

Shinji stood up from the wooden desk and made his way to his room. The night's cool air blew through the cracked window. A shiver slid down his spine and his body jerked out of reflex. "What the hell was that?" he asked himself closing the window.

Sometimes he dreaded falling asleep, because he knew he'd see her in his dream. At times, he wondered if she really existed outside of the dream; but then he'd just tell himself that he was crazy. She was a figment of his subconscious, the inner desires that he wouldn't let surface while he was awake.

Despite fighting the urges, he finally fell asleep. His shallow breathing soon turned into deep breaths. Inside his mind, the vision of the ocean was starting to become clearer and that's when he knew he'd see her again soon.

_Shinji once again, was standing on the sandy beach facing the back of her. An inner sense of frustration was starting to settle in as he attempted to take a step closer to her. He succeeded in taking two steps before he couldn't move anymore._

"_Why can't I move?" he asked._

"_I don't know" she replied._

_ That was the first time she had answered one of his questions. A chill ran over him the second her heard her voice. It was like a goddess's voice or that's what he thought a goddess would sound like. Her hair caressed her back as the wind blew around her._

"_So you can hear me now?" he asked._

"_I guess I can"_

_ He tried to take a step closer; but once again he was prevented. All of his defenses were down and all he wanted to see was her face. Watching her, he realized that she seemed more familiar to than before._

_ Over the last month, the dreams remained the same; but this one was different. She spoke to him and she actually heard him. "Who are you?" he asked. She turned her head to face him. He finally saw her hazel eyes and small nose. She had full lips that shimmered with gloss and a rounded chin._

"_I'd prefer that you don't know my name" she replied._

"_Why?"_

_ He watched her struggle for an answer and he found that he was able to step closer. The realization hit him the instant he took the first step. She was the one preventing his movement. She was the one in control, without even knowing it._

"_I live for these little moments in this world and if you'd know me, they'd disappear"_

_ Her expression was that of pain and suffering. He felt sorry for her; but he wasn't about to let himself feel something for this dream girl. He felt drawn to her and unconsciously he reached for her hand. The small touch sent electricity throughout both of their bodies._

Risa sat upright taking deep breathes, trying to slow her heartbeat to a normal level. Tiredness was still apparent of her face; but there was a small smile lingering upon her lips. Her heart was racing and her hand was still tingling from when he had touched it. She was thrilled to know what he looked like now.

He had long blonde hair that reached the lower part of his back and golden brown eyes that she easily read into. It seemed like he had his own fair share of pain in his life; but he also seemed like the type to not let things bother him.

"Shinji….do you really exist?" she asked herself.

The sun was reaching the horizon and she slowly got up, dreading the start of the day. Another day of the same thing, praying for food to give the children, taking beatings, and constantly being called a freak by the villagers; and it was all because of the color of her hair and the fact she had spirit energy.

"Maybe I'll stay inside today" she whispered pulling her knees up against her chest.

It wasn't long before she became restless inside and wandered outside. Every place she walked, people stared and whispered harsh words about her as she passed. "Look its Risa again. Why doesn't she just leave? She has to know that she's not welcome here" a woman told another.

"She stays to feed those kids, right?" a man asked.

"Yeah; but even those kids are afraid of her"

She closed her eyes, already knowing that they were right. The children did seem afraid when she offered them food, so she gave the food to the tavern owner. Despite knowing that they were afraid of her, she never once stopped bringing them food when available.

"Hey freak, why don't you go crawl in a hole somewhere and never come back" a man shouted from behind her.

Risa felt small stones hit her back and head. Starting to run, the tears started to roll uncontrollably down her pale cheeks. The village was out of sight before long and nothing but trees lie before her. A flash of her dream appeared in her mind and the pain started to get worse, knowing he wasn't real.

"AhhChoo" Shinji sneezed.

"Are you getting a cold, sir?" a voice asked from the doorway.

"Sosuke? Concerned for your Captain?"

"Not really, just curious"

Shinji eyed his Lieutenant curiously. He always found Sosuke Aizen odd. "No, probably just a pretty girl thinking about me somewhere" he proceeded to say.

"I doubt that"

"Whatever"

Sosuke turned towards his desk and saw the growing mountain of paperwork. He realized that his Captain was pawning off his work onto him. He really wasn't surprised by this, because he'd noticed a difference in Shinji's behavior over the last month or so.

"Sir is there something bothering you? You've been acting odd for a while now"

"Huh?"

He looked at his Lieutenant closely, wondering if it was a sense of duty to ask or if he truly cared. Shinji didn't think he could say what was on his mind, for what was on his mind was the woman that plagued his dreams night after night.

"I'm fine, no need to be concerned"

"Then why do you have bags under your eyes?"

"Mind your own business, Sosuke"

"Very well, sir"

An image of her flashed into his mind and he had to shake his head to get the picture to fade. That's the last thing he wanted, to be smitten with a woman from a dream that didn't exist.

"Do you want to take the group today instead of me?" Sosuke asked.

"To the Rukon District?"

"Yes"

"Sure, why not; I need some air anyway"

Shinji stood up and flash-stepped out of the office. The group of squad members were already to go and eager to start their day. They noticed their Captain approaching and all went to a knee before him.

"Stand up, there is no need for that" he said.

"Sir" they replied at once, standing back up.

The group traveled to Junrinan and started their day surveying the area for hollow activity. Shinji felt something was off with the place. The people stared and scattered out of his way. He groaned in annoyance. "Nothing's changed around here" he said to himself. There was a faint sense of spiritual pressure closing in on the village. It seemed familiar to him; but he couldn't put a name to the feeling.

Risa started to walk slowly back towards the village to try and sneak into her home unnoticed. Once inside the grounds, she noticed that a large crowd had gathered around something or someone. It was the perfect opportunity to get home.

She started to run and within moments, she had run into someone. Looking up, she sucked in a horrified gasp of air. The man was large, not overweight; but full of muscle. He was tall, around 6'5'' or do. "I'm sorry" she said her voice crackling with fear.

"You should be; not I have to scrub myself for hours just to get the filth off me"

"I apologize; please just let me go home"

His eyebrow rose and he seemed disgusted with what she said. "This isn't your home, you don't belong here" he snapped. She clenched her hands into fists at her sides. She knew what was about to come; but this time, she wasn't about to just take it.

Anger swirled around her heart and the energy within leaked out, causing pressure to surround her. His arm retracted back then he swung, aiming at her face. Risa ducked underneath the bulky swing; but she still felt fear, knowing how her face would look if his fist had connected to her cheek.

"Why you…"

He couldn't even finish his sentence. The anger made the veins in his forehead appear. The man reached back once more. Risa shut her eyes tight, trying to prepare for the blow; but it never came. Opening one eye slowly, she saw a man in front of her blocking the fist with his forearm.

"I really hate men who hit women" he said in a serious soft voice.

Risa opened her eyes the rest of the way and saw who was in front of her, long blonde hair that reached the bottom of his back, golden brown eyes, and curved face. She noticed that he was a Soul Reaper Captain; but there was no mistaking it was the same man from her dream.

So many thoughts raced through her mind; but nothing seemed logical. Dreams were just made up illusions the subconscious mind created; but he was right in front of her. It seemed crazy to her.

"You're a Soul Reaper; why defend one of us, even if she is a freak?"

Shinji narrowed his eyes at the word. He shifted slightly to look at the woman he defended. Platinum aqua hair, hazel eyes, full lips, and a rounded chin; she had every trait of the woman that he saw in his dreams. _**"How is that possible?"**_ he thought while keeping his cool, not letting her see a change in is demeanor.

"What makes her a freak?" he asked.

"Just look at her, look at that hair. That's not exactly normal"

Risa lowered her head in shame. The man pulled his fist away from Shinji's forearm and took a step back. He walked around the Soul Reaper Captain, glaring at Risa as he passed. Her eyes never once blinked as he walked away.

"Are you okay?" Shinji asked turning completely around.

"You didn't need to step in" she replied.

"Whaaa, are you serious?"

His personality was starting to show through. She noticed that he was a gentleman when it came to women, not matter how poor they were. "I'm used to his beatings, and that's just the way it is around her".

"That's not the way it should be"

Risa shrugged and turned to walk away; but he quickly grabbed her hand. The same electricity sparked throughout both of their bodies. She stopped instantly. "What's your name?" he asked.

Her eyes met his and she felt warmth spread across her cheeks. _**"Stop blushing, you fool"**_ she mentally told herself; but no matter what she told herself, her body reacted to him in a way she shouldn't.

Shinji saw the pink tint touch her pale cheeks. He was curious about her behavior. _**"Does she recognize me somehow?"**_ he asked himself. The thought disturbed him a little; but he wanted to know if this woman was the woman he dreamed about.

"My name is Risa…Risa Akari" she finally answered.

Smiling, he realized what her name meant. Risa, sand of the village; and Akari, light or brightness. There was no doubt in his mind; she was the woman in his dreams. _**"How is this even possible?"**_ he asked himself again.

"Captain Hirako!" a squad member yelled.

"Are you alright, sir?" another asked.

He simply waved and that was all the reassurance they needed. The men stared Risa down, wondering why exactly their Captain saved her and why he was holding her hand. It came as no surprise to her, the looks she was receiving from them.

She continued on her way, sliding her hand out of Shinji's grasp. He watched her walk away out of the village. _**"Where would she go now?"**_ he thought and for some reason it bothered him to see her in such a predicament.

"Let's head back" he announced.

"Yes sir" they replied.

Darkness settled in and Risa lay on the grass staring up at the sky. The stars were beautiful and a nice touch against the dark sky. As a child, she used to find pictures within them with her father. "I'm sorry, I wish I could be what you wanted me to be" she said aloud. A single tear rolled down her cheek before falling asleep.

_A feeling of dread encased her heart as she stood in the water at the shore of the ocean. The dream had appeared once again. Risa didn't want to turn around, fearing that he wouldn't be there. Instead, she continued to stare out across the water. Waves rolled up against her ankles, soothing her anxious mind._

_ Shinji looked on at the woman in front of him. She seemed tense and unaware of him behind her. He wanted to know if it was her, the woman he saw in the Rukon District. He seemed to have more control than before; but there was something preventing his movements once again. "Is your name Risa?" he asked._

_ She turned her head to the side; her one hazel eye looked right at him. She said nothing; but neither confirmed or denied the accusation. When her mouth opened to speak, the world faded and Shinji was left in total darkness._

_ He looked around the dark void, searching for a light of any kind. He heard a single scream before there was nothing at all._

Shinji awoke with a heavy sense of worry. Never once in all the drams he had about her, did that happen. Tossing the blanket off, he stood up and began to pace the floor. Thinking had never been one of his strong suits; but in this particular case it needed to be one. I sharp pain shot into his chest and he took a hold of his uniform in his hand. "Is it her?" he asked aloud. The feeling of dread became more noticeable and he walked out of his room. Looking around to see if anyone was around, he quickly escaped the Sereitei and headed for the Rukon District.

Risa awoke to a hand covering her mouth, preventing her screams. Panic overtook all of her sensed and her body started to tremble. A hard body was pressed up against her back and the tip of a blade at her ribcage. "Not so tough now without your Soul Reaper friend around" the voice echoed across her ear.

Bile rose in her throat as his breath waved under her nose. He was drunk and angry, the worst kind of combination. She wasn't about to let him touch her. Reaching deep down within herself to draw out what little spirit energy she knew how to control; she drove her elbow into his abdomen.

He groaned in pain, releasing her. She wasted no time getting up to run for her life. He grabbed her ankle and she fell face first into the ground. A cut on her forehead released blood to roll down her face. She rolled onto her back and kicked him in the knee, scrambling away again.

"Shinji…" she whispered.

Risa continued to run through the trees and soon tripped over a log on the pathway. Her knee scrapped against the ground, struggling to her feet the man caught up to her. Pulling her hair, he yanked her onto the ground hard. She could taste blood in her mouth as she rolled onto her side.

Her hand felt around for something she could use to defend herself. As she took hold of a stick, he slammed his foot down onto her side. She screamed in pain, letting the stick out of her hand. He laughed satanically; but it was a short laugh. In the darkness, she could make out someone tackling him off her.

She coughed and blood escaped her mouth, landing on the bed of moss beneath her. She knew that at least two of her ribs were broken; it was difficult to even breathe. Hearing the sounds of fighting, she tried to get to her feet; she only made things worse by taking a step.

Risa collapsed onto the ground once more and the pain surged up her spine. Gasping for a single breath, she caught a glimpse of blonde hair before she fell unconscious and then she only saw darkness after that.

**XxXx Thank you for reading part one of this two-shot. I hope to have the last part out very soon. Please review and let me know what you thought. XxXx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note: Well here is the last part to this story and I hope everyone enjoys. Again, this story was inspired by the song 'Hanging by a Moment' by Lifehouse and there is a small portion of the lyrics at the end, I do not own them or bleach. I do own Risa Akari and the story. Please leave a review with your thoughts. It's been fun writing this for all of you.**

Part 2

Risa's sense of feeling came back after an unknown amount of time passed. She knew that someone was carrying her. Who, she didn't know; because her eyes refused to open. Darkness was the only thing she could see and it scared her. Panicked thoughts began to intrude on her usual calm demeanor. _**"Am I dying?" **_she thought.

Shinji could feel her trembling in his arms as he carried her back to the Sereitei. He knew his actions were strictly prohibited; but he didn't care. She was hurt and it was beyond anything he could treat. He was lucky to arrive when he did; otherwise, she would have been killed. Her spiritual pressure was what helped him find her, even if it was faint. He tightened his grip on her as he picked up his pace, rushing into the Sereitei.

Squad Four was the relief and first aid unit and he automatically headed in its direction. He hoped they wouldn't turn his request down. Without saying anything he walked into the barracks.

"Captain Hirako, what brings you…."a man asked but cut himself off when he saw the unconscious woman in his arms.

"Sorry Lieutenant Yamada; but it's an emergency" Shinji replied.

"She's not a Soul Reaper; you can't bring her in here"

"I know; but she'll die if she doesn't get treatment"

The Lieutenant stared down Shinji, wondering what he should do. The woman was obviously in bad shape. Her arms fell limp from her body and dried blood caked the corner of her mouth. Shinji's eyes held an expression of desperation, a sight no one has ever seen on his face before.

"What's the problem here, Seinosuke?" Retsu Unohana asked walking out onto the walkway.

"Captain…" he couldn't finish before Shinji interrupted.

"Captain Unohana, please treat this woman" Shinji pleaded.

She turned from her Lieutenant to see the woman Shinji held in his arms. She was clearly not a Soul Reaper; but she did possess spirit energy. "You know that it is strictly prohibited to bring people that are not Soul Reapers here" she stated.

"I know and I'll take whatever punishment…"

"Who is she?" Retsu interrupted.

"It's complicated"

"Take her inside"

Shinji did as he was told and carried her into a treatment room. Red stained his Captain's Hyori as he laid her down upon the bed. Her breathing was shallow and erratic. The worry was clearly written on his face. Retsu outstretched her hands over Risa's body and a greenish glow surrounded her. Shinji watched intently, remembering what happened in the forest.

_The villager slammed his food into Risa's side, causing her to scream in pain. When he arrived, he took the man to the ground. All it took was one punch to the jaw and he was out cold; but when he looked back at Risa, she was lying on the ground unconscious._

_ He approached her and saw the blood rolling from the side of her mouth. __**"Internal bleeding**__" he thought. Her breathing was shallow and close to stopping all together. Making his quick decision, he scooped her into his arms and ran as fast as he could back to the Sereitei._

"_Risa…" he whispered._

Blinking his eyes, he returned to reality. Retsu narrowed her eyes in frustration. It was taking longer than it should. "What's wrong?" he asked softly. She never moved her head to meet his gaze.

"She has four broken ribs; but one of them punctured her right lung. I'm trying to fix it; but it's taking longer than it should. I'm meeting some resistance"

"Maybe she's giving up" Seinosuke said.

"What!" Shinji yelled.

Shinji looked down at Risa. Her pale skin was starting to feel cold under his touch. "Why give up?" he whispered; but he knew that she couldn't hear him. Retsu looked on at her fellow Captain with sympathy. She had never seen him this way in all the years she'd known him.

"Who is she Shinji?" Retsu asked again.

"I guess I should start at the beginning…" he started to say, hesitating on his own words.

Seinosuke sat down in a chair at the foot of the bed with a yawn. It was well passed 3 am and well passed most people's bedtime. Shinji reached down and moved a lock of Risa's hair out of her eyes. The small gesture surprised Retsu; but she said nothing, hoping to get the answers to her questions from him soon enough.

"Two months ago, I started to have the same dream over and over every night. I was always on some beach facing the back of a woman. For a while, all she said was my name; but then a couple days ago the dream changed. I was able to take a couple steps towards her and she could hear me. I finally saw her face and she saw mine…"

"Are you telling me that this woman…is the girl you dreamed of?" she asked.

Shinji said nothing for a moment, "As far as I can tell, yes. Tonight, another dream started; but it was cut short and that's when I found her like this" he continued. Retsu gazed at the woman on the table. Several thoughts entered her mind all at once; but none of them made any sense.

A whimper escaped Risa's mouth and Shinji gasped as her body started to convulse. He froze, watching her fade from existence right in front of him. He couldn't hear the orders Retsu gave her Lieutenant in attempts to save her.

There was only one way to reach her and that was to get inside their dream. He looked at Retsu harshly, "Knock me out, now!" he shouted Seinosuke eyed his Captain and she simply nodded.

"Very well" he stated.

He pulled out a vial of green liquid from his uniform pocket and dropped three drops onto Shinji's hand. Within seconds, he collapsed onto the floor.

_Darkness surrounded him as he looked around for the light. "Risa!" he shouted. The ocean was becoming clear and in his view. She stood before him, her hair whipping around her as a storm approached. The world was crumbling, because she was dying._

"_Risa…" he said._

"_Is that you, Shinji?" she asked._

"_Of course it is. Who else would be in this dream?"_

_ She laughed and took a step closer to him. He was running out of time. The black clouds above were about to strike with deadly force. "Why are you giving up?" he asked. He seemed desperate and that was something new to him._

"_Why not? My life is full of nothing but pain and misery"_

"_That's not a real reason. Everyone has problems"_

"_What would you know!" she yelled._

_ Her outburst of anger surprised him; but he never flinched at her tone. He started to walk towards her. His heart was racing with emotions that weren't really familiar to him. "You haven't begun to live, Risa. There is so much out there" he said softly almost like a whisper._

"_Not for someone like me"_

_He reached his hand out to touch her cheek. He found her skin to be warm and a spark of electricity jolted him the whole way up his arm. "There is nothing wrong with you. You have spirit energy, why not become a Soul Reaper?" he asked._

"_What would be the point in that? Soul Reapers don't help the starving kids in the Rukon"_

_ He was stunned by her accusation. She was determined to help those like her, even if they shunned her and wished her death. "Maybe you could make a difference and if you were in Squad Five, I'd let you help them" he replied._

_ Risa saw the sincerity in his eyes and it made her rethink about what she was doing. __**"Why did my soul call onto such a man?"**__ she thought before covering her hand onto his. Closing her eyes, tears rolled down her cheeks and he pulled her into his arms. There was nothing left for her in the Rukon, they all despised her; but he didn't seem to be scared of her at all. He welcomed her, when no one else in the world did._

_ Shinji pulled back a little and wiped the tears away from her cheeks. He hesitated; but slowly leaned in closer to her face. She could feel his breath against her lips and it was tempting to close the gap, knowing that this was only a dream. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips onto hers. The second their lips touched, her body ignited with life. It felt like he was breathing life into her._

Shinji awoke on the floor of the treatment room. He sat up groggily and saw Retsu's smile. Risa's breathing had become stable and it only sounded like she was asleep now. "This woman is probably what humans call a Soul Mate. It's rare here in the Soul Society" she said and stood up from the chair she had been sitting on.

"Thank you" he said.

"Make sure she becomes a Soul Reaper, she'd got quite a bit of spiritual energy to hold back my healing abilities"

He grinned and nodded. He felt that he owed her after doing something that was prohibited within the Sereitei.

It took several days for Risa to regain her strength; but when she was able to walk, she requested Shinji join her. Stepping out of the barracks, Shinji led her out of the Sereitei and started towards the Rukon District. The walk was long and quiet. She didn't know what to say to him or how to thank him.

The village was in her sight now and she stopped dead in her tracks, suddenly feeling fear. Shinji hung back behind her, watching her closely. "I really don't belong there, Shinji" she finally told him. She turned around and walked back towards him. Looking up at him, she spoke again, "Maybe I should become a Soul Reaper"

Shinji gave her a wild grin and she raised an eyebrow at him, wondering why he was grinning at her like that. "I was hoping you'd say that" he replied. His response confused her and it was mostly because she wasn't used to those kinds of emotions.

"Why?" she asked.

"Before I answer that, I have a question for you"

She could already guess what he was going to ask; but she figured that she needed to wait until the question was actually asked. His grin faded and he took her hand into his. "Why me? Why did your dream connect to me?" he asked.

"I actually don't have an answer to that. I don't know how or why it happened"

"I see"

"I looked forward to the dreams. They were the only thing that made me happy through everything. I hung onto those moments, even if they were small"

Risa's words were starting to make his heart race. He knew he wasn't going to be able to let her go, now that he had found her. Despite knowing very little about her, she was starting to mean something to him.

"That's why you need to become a Soul Reaper, because those moments meant something to both of us"

She remembered the dream they shared while she was unconscious. The feeling of his arms wrapped around her and the way his lips touched her, made everything different. She gave her, her life back and she'd be forever indebted to him.

Shinji lifted her chin up with a finger so he could see her eyes. "What are you thinking about?" he asked and instantly saw the blush that tinted her cheeks. She could feel his breath on her skin as his close proximity made her senses swirl in different directions. "I was thinking of you" she replied before closing the gap herself.

Risa's lips pressed onto his and she felt his arm wrap around her back, drawing her closer to him. She reached up with her hand to tangle her fingers in his locks of thick long hair. She never imagined how soft it would be to touch. Her emotions seemed like an endless river, constantly flowing; but the ones she felt for Shinji were completely different than anything she had ever felt before.

Shinji pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. "Come back with me, I'll get you into the academy and I'll make sure that you're taken care of" he said softly. She smiled and leaned in to kiss his lips again.

"Where will I stay, while I'm there?" she asked.

He knew that she couldn't go back to the Rukon District and then his grin returned to his face when an idea came to his mind.

"You can stay with me, once you're accepted into the academy there won't be an objection in the Sereitei"

"Why would you do all of this for me?"

"What the hell kind of question is that?"

"A pretty logical one; you barely know me"

He let go of her and turned away from her. "Don't you know that we are connected? Your soul called out to me, whether you know it or not. That's a rare thing to happen within the Soul Society" he explained. He didn't want to come right out and say that they were Soul Mates; but she needed to understand that he'd do anything for her.

Risa understood what he was getting at, because she had thought about that theory herself. She twined her fingers with his, allowing her energy to caress him. Without a second to prepare, he turned around and cupped the back of her head, pulling her to meet his lips. Despite the short amount of time they knew each other, both of them knew that they were connected by the dreams they had shared over the last two months and only time could give them what they needed; each other.

_Letting go of all I've held on to_

_I'm standing here until you make me move_

_I'm hanging by a moment here with you_

_I've living for the only thing I know_

_I'm running and not quite sure where to go_

_And I don't know what I'm diving into_

_Just hanging by a moment here with you_

**XxXx Thanks for reading and I really hoped you enjoyed. Please review XxXx**


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